check in time

[luvsTink]

Hi all...what time is the busiest as DVC's for checking in? We will be at BCV the end of this week.

Thanks!
Anne

 

[Chuck S]

For days of the week, I would guess Sundays and Fridays, Sundays for those that use Sun-Thur points reservation and Friday for those coming in for cash weekends. As far as a time of day, since flights arrive constantly, most anytime between 8am and 6 pm are probably busy, with the heaviest times in late morning to early afternoon.

 

[DisDaydreamer]

I think between 3 & 5 pm. Since the official check-in time is 4pm, and many people are kind of shy about arriving early and taking a chance on getting an early room.

 

[beachblanket]

many people are kind of shy about arriving early and taking a chance on getting an early room.

They don't have to accept it.

The best strategy to increase the odds of getting a villa that meets all your requests is to arrive as early as possible in the day (well, within reason, before 7am is kind of overkill) , and while checking in politely telling the CM:

• You are NOT -- repeat, NOT -in any hurry to get into a villa...AND....
• Are more than willing to wait as long as necessary that day for the best possible villa (ergo, the one becoming available that day which meets all or comes closest to meeting your requests) to open up
• Would very much appreciate the CM taking that into account in your villa assignment

We have always followed this strategy, and have (with one exception, which was at HH) gotten exactly the villa we wanted.

I will admit we have more than often not gotten into the villa before the official 4pm check in time, but at WDW that's never been an issue - by arriving so early, even after checking in and having the bell desk store our luggage, we easily get to a park before opening and enjoy the day there before returning to the resort in the afternoon once the room is ready.

The HH situation was a bad choice of check in day (a Thursday) - villa inventory was very low, so we got stuck in a "leftover." We switched out of it into a much better villa then next day, but that involved paying that annoying room change fee.

On the issue of best day, since we are not weekend point avoiders (changing resorts mid vacation is a pain in our opinion), Fridays work great - since a huge proportion of the "Sunday to Thursday crowd" all flees then, villa inventories tend to be at their highest.

If Fridays don't work for you, then get there as early as possible on a Sunday.

 

[DisDaydreamer]

They don't have to accept it.

I'm not understanding... Who doesn't have to accept what?

 

[beachblanket]

I'm not understanding... Who doesn't have to accept what?

As I stated, people who arrive for an early check do NOT -again, absoultely, positively DO NOT-- have to accept an "early" room (ergo, the first immediately available villa). That's a fatigued old urban legend that repeatedly flies around the DIS.

 

[DisDaydreamer]

As I stated, people who arrive for an early check do NOT -again, absoultely, positively DO NOT-- have to accept an "early" room (ergo, the first immediately available villa). That's a fatigued old urban legend that repeatedly flies around the DIS.

Ok. I was only trying to answer the question of what I thought was the busiest time to check-in, and explaining what I based my opinion on.

I wasn't suggestion people are shy about checking in early because of having to take first available, but rather suggesting that many people may either not know they can check in early or think they are breaking a rule or imposing by arriving early, and so the busiest time for checking in is usually around the official or published check-in time. IMHO.

 

[beachblanket]

Ok. I was only trying to answer the question of what I thought was the busiest time to check-in, and explaining what I based my opinion on.

I wasn't suggestion people are shy about checking in early because of having to take first available, but rather suggesting that many people may either not know they can check in early or think they are breaking a rule or imposing by arriving early, and so the busiest time for checking in is usually around the official or published check-in time. IMHO.

I apologize for any confusion. I was just trying to help educate the OP about another aspect of choice of check-in time.

 

[bobbiwoz]

If there's lots of people coming to your resort on an ME bus, that's the busiest time!

Have a great time at BCV!!

Bobbi

 

[DisDaydreamer]

If there's lots of people coming to your resort on an ME bus, that's the busiest time!

Have a great time at BCV!!

Bobbi

Didn't even think about that